Keywords

Loud speech, intelligibility, Parkinson disease, amplification

Abstract

Amplification may be helpful in improving speech intelligibility for some speakers with Parkinson disease. Because the gain used in the present study was limited to the dB increase from habitual to loud speech, it is unclear how performance might increase with higher amplification levels. Increases in the signal to noise ratio in the present study only account for about one third to one half of the intelligibility improvements that accompany loud speech. Thus, loud speech differs from habitual speech in more than just its amplitude. Articulation appears to play a lesser role in these improvements, whereas source spectral changes may be more important. Prosody may also be an important feature to study in the future. Further work is needed to better understand the specific mechanisms underlying intelligibility improvements in loud speech in this population.

Original Publication Citation

Dromey, C. (2010). Louder speech leads to greater intelligibility improvements than amplification of habitual speech in Parkinson disease. Evidence-based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 4, 45-48.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2010

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/3732

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Language

English

College

David O. McKay School of Education

Department

Communication Disorders

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